Last King of Compton

ATLAS, 20s, orphaned and schizophrenic, is rehomed from Los Angeles to extended family in Long Beach. A life defined by solitude and neglect. His Aunt’s edict: work and take your pills. The Los Angeles River separates the homeless encampments of Los Angeles and gentrified Long Beach. Plight forces exodus across the treacherous river into Long Beach. Tempered by medication, Atlas’ days consist of absentminded menial jobs and fishing the polluted river. His hope is for the day when the fish return. While fishing and off medicine, Atlas is drawn into conflict. He excessively beats a robber and JAPPY, 50s, rescues Atlas from arrest. He recognizes a learning disability and wrongly believes Atlas is an addict. A thief steals Atlas’ fishing rod. Jappy intervenes before Atlas rages. Jappy offers Atlas a job at the Long Beach Recycling Center. He believes Atlas stopped taking “pills.” Atlas’ simplicity earns coworker’s trust. Inconsistent medicine clouds his memory. He struggles with the machinery but is determined. His Aunt becomes less concerned with his medicine as he contributes more money to her jar. Atlas weans from the pills and his violent tendencies return. He believes the trash discarded by the homeless prevents the return of the fish. A bloody assault earns Atlas a place with the night crew “Cleaners” led by YAM, 60s. Scheduled Los Angeles encampment clean-ups drive the homeless across the river into Long Beach. The Cleaners systematically slaughter the unsavory street element. The corpses are incinerated in the recycling center and the Cleaners carefully cover their tracks. The night crew hunts Atlas’s indigent brother Fino. Yam suspects Atlas aided the escape and removes him from the Cleaners. Atlas introduces a small fish to his rat. The rat violently attacks the helpless fish. A realization sets in… the necessity of absolute violence. After Atlas kills Fino, Yam returns him to the Cleaners. In a series of purges, Atlas rises to a leadership role. His technique and rage are beautiful and poetic. An injury renders Jappy unable to cleanly operate the winch. Atlas revealed a level of mastery which conceals the evidence of the purge. Yam recognizes Atlas’ greatness and dispatches him to lead a purge from within the Los Angeles recycling center.